What Are You So Scared Of?
by IrrationalandImpossible
Summary: For three weeks after Kagome's return, Inuyasha has continued to avoid her. Finally, she chooses to confront him but maybe she's not ready for his explanation. Post-Canon Drabble. Leave a review telling me what you think!
1. Chapter 1

She had been back for three weeks. Three weeks of living in the feudal era. Three weeks of working as a priestess under Kaede. Three weeks of being with her friends again. As well as three weeks of Inuyasha avoiding her.

When she had first come through the well he had practically yanked her arm off bringing her into his arms. Afterwards, they had talked briefly both unsure how to say what had been on their minds during their separation. It wasn't fair to say they never spoke. In the beginning, he was never too far from her, but now within the past few weeks, he seems to be content with keeping to himself and using every excuse in the book to get farther away from her.

The second morning after she returned she awoke to find the village gossip was about her. It felt like the whole village was waiting on them like they were some form of entertaining show of 'will they, won't they'. She felt their stares, no doubt that Inuyasha did too. So he was coping with it the only way he knew how.

Avoiding the hell out of it.

Suddenly there was an increasing amount of 'exorcisms to be done' in neighbouring villages, or Inuyasha going for longer hunting trips than usual saying 'there wasn't anything worth hunting in this place'. He wasn't fooling anyone though. Miroku and Sango had already tried to call him out on him one night they had all gathered at the couple's hut for dinner. Inuyasha countered with a simple "Keh, whatever" and continued to eat his meal while Kagome sat watching the ordeal internally screaming.  
It had almost made her seriously question coming back through the well. But every time their eyes locked and she saw a slight blush on his face and felt the same heat rise in her cheeks, she knew she made the right choice.

But what was his major malfunction? She was always used to him being reserved but this was ridiculous. She knew she had grown considerably in the last few years for how she hasn't lost her temper with his antics yet. Somehow she believed that perhaps he had grown too, but here he was the same old half-demon that put up very sturdy walls around himself.

Kagome was at her wit's end and she decided tonight would be the night she confronted him. There was no speak of exorcisms, no hunting needed to be done, firewood was stocked, and she knew where Inuyasha was currently sulking. After finishing her chores with Kaede for that day she had collected all her courage and set off toward the object of her thoughts who was up in the same tree bordering the village.

He had to have seen her coming a mile away. Kagome could swear she saw him stiffen when she started walking his direction. Most villagers had gone in their homes after another hard days work, and it had noticeably gotten colder as the day drew on. 'Now or never' she silently chanted to her self as she drew closer.

"It's cold stupid, go inside," Inuyasha said when she got into earshot but he hadn't even looked in her direction.

"It's not that cold." She challenged, but like clockwork, she felt a wind breeze past her and she couldn't help but let out a tiny shiver.

"Keh." Was his only response. She made her way to the base of the tree and promptly sat down making herself comfortable against its trunk.

"You're not going try and run away from me?" She inquired as she lifted her gaze toward him. He wasn't high in the tree but too high for her to climb without her straining herself. He was thrown off by her bluntness but quickly recovered.

"What makes you think I'd run dummy?" Inuyasha quickly chastised still not looking anywhere near her general location.

"Oh please, your so–" Kagome started but was cut off as another brisk wind sent a prompt shiver through her body. Maybe tonight wasn't the best night to confront him, or maybe she should have brought a blanket. All thoughts fell from her head as a flash of red and silver dropped down in front of her. She gasped at his sudden intrusion to her personal space but welcomed his proximity more than his adamant refusal to look in her direction.

Inuyasha quickly shed his robe and draped it over her sitting form, while muttering something under his breath she new was demeaning to her somehow. As he was making sure she was covered he looked over her face and their eyes were locked in a confused battle of a stare. They were frozen like that, in their proximity, Kagome suddenly wasn't as cold and she didn't think that was his robes doing.

As if ice water had been poured on his head Inuyasha was yanked out of his trance and made the quick distance between them by jumping back up in the tree on the same branch he was once on, as if that moment they shared didn't happen.

Kagome knew she had become a calmer more understanding person in recent years, but something in her snapped back to her quick-tempered 15-year-old self. She jumped to her feet letting his robe fall from her onto the ground. She whipped around to face the tree and look up at his resting form on that god-damn branch.

"What exactly is your problem Inuyasha?!" She screeched, she noticed him flinch at her sudden outburst but he kept his gaze elsewhere which only served to anger her more. "What do you want me to do? Leave? If it bothers you so much maybe I shouldn't have returned." She didn't even believe the words that were coming from her lips, she knew he wanted her here, but her reason was out the window after three weeks of his games.

"Of course not, why would you say something so stupid?" He turned his head to her and replied quickly after her last comment. Like she suspected, he wanted her here she knew that, but maybe getting a rise out of him is what she needs to get an explanation.

"Why? Why?! Because of what you just did!" She yelled back up to him, they were in a staring contest know completely different from the won't they were just in.

"And what did I just do?" He asked matter of factually his voice higher in volume and she didn't think it was because of the distance between the two of them.

"You pulled away from me." She said feeling some her anger being replaced with a bit of her sadness and shattered ego that she'd carried around with her for the past few days. "You always do that. Pull away when I get close." She noticed his face contort into confusion as her words lost their fire. "What are you so afraid of?!" She half shouted and half sobbed at the half-demon who looked like he had just got slapped.

"Kagome…." He started in a suddenly sombre tone. "I didn't mean to… shit. Look Kagome I'm not good at this stuff you know." He sputtered out but his words did nothing to calm the priestess down.

"Oh great! Like that makes it all better!" She spat at him. He suddenly jumped from the tree again with renewed annoyance.

"What do you want me to do then?!" He shouted to her almost sounded as if he was pleading.

"Tell me." She said calmly.

"Tell you what?" He replied.

"Tell me why you're avoiding me?" He started to turn away from her and he brought his hand up to his head in annoyance. "Tell me what you're scared of?" As she finished he snapped his face to her and quickly marched up close to her to have their faces inches apart. He was angry, but there was a desperation in his eyes that Kagome could see clear as day.

"You're finally back Kagome! Don't you understand that that's something I didn't think was ever gonna happen! Do you think I'm ready to go blabbing about the feelings and junk and somehow fuck this up like I have everything else." He looked down suddenly almost seeming ashamed.

"What are you-" She started but he cut her off but grabbing her shoulders which cause a small gasp to erupt from her. "Don't! I know what you're going to say, I know you care about me but please understand-" As Inuyasha stared at her he looked as though opening up about this caused him pain. They stayed locked there for a moment, Kagome could've sworn she saw tears well up in his eyes before he blinked them away and then he spoke words that split Kagome's heart in two.

"-this" He gestured to the two of them by nodding his head. "is something that I'm not ready to possibly destroy yet!"


	2. Chapter 2

Well, she wanted an explanation for his behaviour, and she got it. Now, what was she supposed to do with it? It was heartbreaking watching him squirm after such an admission. Did he really think that little of himself to think he'd destroy any good in his life? She still felt the tinge of anger bordering her brain, but this time it was anger at him for thinking those thoughts. Those thoughts are what caused this whole ordeal.

"What would make you think you could destroy this? Don't I get a say?"Kagome asked after a long pause. Inuyasha had dropped his head after his outburst but he started raising his head to meet Kagome with a questioning look on his face.

"Kagome-" Was all he could get out in a slightly breathy tone.

"No, Inuyasha that's not fair." Kagome said sounding like she was talking to herself more than responding to him. "You can't make this decision yourself. I'm not accepting that, you hear me?" She more so pleaded with him with her last question.

"I- I - I don't know." Inuyasha stuttered out dropping his head again. He muttered a few unintelligible things as he dropped his head, and he then let out a huge sigh.

"What?" Kagome asked. He slowly raised his head again, looking more defeated then she had ever seen him.

"I'm not- I'm not – Ugh damnit!" He growled out and jumped away from her and gathered himself at the base of the tree with his head in his hands. He was frustrated, she could tell, but he wasn't getting away that easy. Kagome waited till she could hear his growling had stopped to speak.

"Your not what Inuyasha?" He didn't flinch at her words. Kagome went over to the tree and sat beside his rigid form. "Help me understand please."

He mumbled something into his hands, Kagome didn't hear any words as it sounded like just a grumble but she asked him to clarify none the less. He sighed once more sounding impossibly more defeated and then raised his head out of his hands and looked straight ahead into the village. It had grown considerably dark but they still had enough light to see each other. Kagome had been so preoccupied with their conversation that she didn't realize how cold she had gotten.

Her shiver surprised her out of her gaze on Inuyasha and she slowly wrapped her arms around her self. As she did the feeble effort to keep warm, Inuyasha had turned and grabbed his discard kimono and put it over her shoulders. She grabbed the edged and pulled it tighter over her, but by the time she was settled he went back to his position of staring at the village.

"Thank you." She let out quietly.

"O-Of course." He said almost equally as quiet. How could this man ever think he could destroy what they had. Despite their arguments, he was there for her, and she would always be there for him.

"I'm not ready to lose you again." Inuyasha suddenly said with a very even tone still not looking at her. It was his second confession of the night and Kagome's head was whirling with all the feelings this conversation had brought to the table. "I thought-" He slowly continued. "I thought I was strong you know? But after you left, I was weak and – well – just pathetic." He ran his hand through his hair in what seems like irritation but at what she didn't know.

"Your not weak Inuyasha, you know that." Kagome added. He was one of the strongest guys she knew, and he was one of the first to brag about it too.

"Not in the ways that matter. Not in the way that you're strong." Inuyasha started firmly.

"How am I strong?" Kagome asked positively perplexed, Inuyasha favourite thing to call her or any human for that matter was the direct opposite of strong.

"Its- ya know- your heart. How you can feel things for people, and – and I don't know." He stammered out as a slight blush illuminated his face. "Just forget it, this is stupid" Inuyasha started to get up to leave but Kagome quickly grabbed his sleeve. He turned to her and as their eyes met there was a silent understanding and he sat back down beside her. He started to pick at the grass in front of him as Kagome watched his movements waiting to see if he would continue his thoughts.

"If I care about something, I'll just lose it, and it'll be my fault. I don't wanna screw up somehow and have you vanishing again." He stated and with every admission, it seemed like the fog that had been hanging around him and her was dissipating. Kagome's thoughts drifted to what she knew of Inuyasha's difficult past, losing his mother, not having his father, being bullied for being the half-demon he was, and of course losing Kikyo in more ways than anyone should have to. Kagome didn't know why reality had to be so cruel sometimes."When you left -" Inuyasha continued. "I just - I didn't know what I was supposed to do."

Kagome knew how he must have felt during their separation. She had missed him every day that she was gone but she didn't consider that a fault or weakness. It was normal, expected even.

"Missing someone isn't a weakness you know," Kagome said matter of factually breaking the intense air that had gathered around them. She felt Inuyasha shrug and almost let out a chuckle at her words.

"Figures you'd spit out something like that." He responded shaking his head keeping his gaze directed at the grass in front of them. His mood seemed to be slowly lifting and Kagome wanted to keep it that way.

"Well, it's the truth. I missed you a lot when I was gone but I'm not ashamed of that. The hurt I felt was proof that I loved." Kagome said. Inuyasha seemed to stiffen again as he processed her words. It wasn't an ideal way to tell that guy you love that you love him but Kagome thought it was a good a time as any. She came back to the feudal era so she didn't think her affections were that much of a shock.

Inuyasha stammered out a few 'ah's' and 'oh's' and even a few colourful words choices Kagome guessed it was all part of the process of him collecting his thoughts.

"I'm not going anywhere Inuyasha." She stated. Inuyasha scoffed but still had a faint memory of the smile on his face.

"You don't know that Kagome." Inuyasha said giving her a side-eye. Kagome challenged his glare with her own eye roll.

"Maybe not. But - well I don't want to go anywhere, and there isn't much you can do to change that." Kagome said firmly. She knew what she wanted the moment she jumped through the well. If she had to jam that information in his head every day, well, that's how it was going to be.

"Kagome – but," Inuyasha said trying to come up with an argument to challenge her rational she silenced him with her hand gripping his chin and forcing him to look at her.

"Before you think this whole thing is in your hands, know that I'm holding it up to and I'll be here for as long as you'll let me." Kagome admitted. Inuyasha raised his head to look at her incredulously. Kagome cocked her head to him and gave him a small smile. "I have an equal chance of screwing things up here but it doesn't mean I'm about to quit. What about you?"

"I don't want to quit," Inuyasha said with a small blush gracing his face as Kagome still held it firmly.

"Good, I'm glad." Kagome said releasing his face but as Kagome's hand fell Inuyasha quickly picked it up and put it to his cheek. Now it was Kagome's turn to blush. "Inuyasha?"

"We're equal in this, we will pick up for each other right? Stay by each other's side?" Inuyasha asked sounding embarrassed but also having disbelief gracing his words. His grip on her hand grew tighter and she felt his face getting warmer.

"Of course, Inuyasha." She confirmed giving him a warm smile and stroking his face with the thumb of her captured hand. He seemed to be studying her, looking for any points of a lie but finding none, he returned her smile with one of his own.

Inuyasha loosened his grip on her hand and allowed it to fall from his face. He had been keeping her gaze but then he suddenly furrowed his brows and looked away from her. Almost looking flustered.

"Inuyasha what is it?" Kagome asked furrowing her own brows at his sudden movement.

"You're sure, right? A - about what you're saying I mean." He asked. Kagome rolled her eyes slightly at his need to confirm what they just spoke of. The worry she felt melting away as quickly as it came.

"How else can I prove it you?" She asked letting a smile light up her face. She could see clear as day he was calculating something in his head, he was frightened of the future and what could happen but she wanted him to know that she was going to be there for him.

She wasn't prepared for how fast Inuyasha turned himself to her and grabbed hold of both her hands. Their gazes locked and Kagome felt the wind knock right out of her with the words that he spoke next.

"Will you marry me?"


	3. Chapter 3

Neither had moved since his question. Inuyasha's eyes held hers, his stare looking more nervous by the second. Kagome, however, found herself in a state of shock as her eyes were the size of dinner plates and her skin felt impossibly flushed. He was still holding onto her hands and she felt like she had turned to stone in his grasp. Inuyasha looked down at their interlocked hands and started to stroke her hand with his thumb to calm nerves, she wasn't sure if it was for her or him.

He let out a small cough to try to knock her out of her spell, Kagome felt herself wake up from her daze and slightly shook her head as if to get things ordered in her mind. Tonight had started as a confrontation, then turned into a fight, then to a confession, and now he's proposing. Her mind was reeling at what had transpired in what was supposed to be a small talk between the two.

Kagome wasn't sure what the wisest next step here was, of course, she loved him she didn't question that but 'marriage' wasn't something she pictured Inuyasha wanting. She was always the kind of girl who dreamed that one day she'd marry her true love but her plans got derailed when she fell down a well into the arms of a half-demon. She let her dreams of a normal 21st-century romance fall to the wayside, but knowing that Inuyasha wanted something so – so... 'human' threw her right off.

* * *

"I'm sorry." Inuyasha's apology kicked her out of her inner monologue.

"What? What are you apologizing for?" She asked bewildered but maybe a bit too enthusiastic.

"I shouldn't have asked you that." He responded looking dejected. He didn't look up at her but he was still holding her hands and stroking them slightly and Kagome was sure now it was his way of grounding himself.

"No – that's not..." Kagome started but didn't know where she was taking that sentence. She loved this man, she was shocked by his sudden proposal but she loved him. This isn't supposed to be this complicated, but Kagome still couldn't formulate the words to tell him that.

Inuyasha took her silence harshly and let out a long sigh and dropped her hands. She had just spent the past little while confirming her feeling for him and telling him that they were in this together and she was the one destroying it all and she wasn't even talking.

"You don't have to explain. Just forget it." Kagome could hear his walls building back up with that sentence. He turned away from her and started to get up, Kagome quickly followed after his movements.

"Wait! Please— I'm sorry, just— wait." She let out as she stumbled to her feet careful not to let his coat fall off her shoulders not wanting to add insult to injury. "I'm – not." She began but was cut off.

"You're not ready I get it. I'm sorry for bringing it up." Inuyasha said as he continued his attempt to walk away from her but she quickly grabbed his arm and yanked him back to her side.

"That's not it Inuyasha." She said calmly. Inuyasha seemed to settle at her statement but he didn't let his hopes get too high.

"Then what is it? If you're gonna talk, then talk." Inuyasha said as he cocked a questioning eyebrow at her. Kagome took a few breathes in to steady herself as she felt like she hadn't focused on breathing the past few minutes.

"I -" Kagome stuttered at the beginning but she let her grasp fall from Inuyasha's arm to his hand and intertwined her fingers in his to give her silent support to say what she had to. "I love you, Inuyasha and I'm not rejecting you." Kagome confided and looked up to his face.

"Y- you do? You're not?" Inuyasha jabbered out looking like he got four shades brighter. Kagome gave him a warm smile but silently hushed him so she could say what she needed to.

"I have to say I'm shocked, I didn't think that getting married was something that you wanted." Kagome said cocking her head to the side almost testing out her words hoping they wouldn't rub him the wrong way.

"I never wanted to get married, but - I want to be married to you Kagome," Inuyasha said as he darted his eyes every which way to avoid her gaze as he confessed his feelings to her. Kagome couldn't help the familiar heat rise in her cheeks as she saw the same pink tone rise in his. "I don't know if I'll be any good at it, but I'll protect you and provide for you. I want you to know that, well, I – I love you too." He stammered out, Kagome felt the wind knock out her again but she didn't want him to take her silence the wrong way again so she sucked in air and got her words in order.

"I wasn't ready for this night to end with a proposal and I'm sorry for worrying you with freezing up like that." She quickly apologized and was shocked when he didn't try to cover up the fact he was worried. This night had shown her, he really had grown up. "I want to stand by you Inuyasha, It's what I've always wanted. I'd be thrilled to be able to do it as your wife."

"You mean it?" Inuyasha asked holding her gaze looking more hopeful. Kagome let out a tiny giggle at his apparent growing giddiness.

"Do you – uhm want to start this proposal over?" Kagome asked with a smile never leaving her face. Inuyasha let out a rare genuine grin and without breaking eye contact, grabbed hold of both her hands gently.

"Kagome, will you be my wife?" Inuyasha asked tenderly his smile becoming more bright as he spoke his second proposal of the night. Kagome felt like the luckiest girl in the world at that moment with butterflies erupting in her stomach.

"Of course I will." She answered and quickly felt her feet leave the ground as Inuyasha picked her up and spun her in his arms, she threw her arms around his neck to keep balance as the both of them let out a small giggle showing that they were truly happy. He placed her back down from where he picked her up but kept his arms around her. He brought a hand up to cup the side of her face while keeping his grip on her waist with the other. Kagome acted completely on impulse as she felt Inuyasha lean closer to her face. Kagome closed her eyes and felt his lips touch hers softly and almost simultaneously her knees gave out but she gripped onto his shoulders to keep from losing her balance.

Kagome felt fireworks erupt in her stomach, his he moved his hand to the back of her head to deepen the kiss. The kiss was not overly passionate but it didn't need to be to speak volumes to the two of them. When their lips finally parted they couldn't hide the pure bliss on their faces. Inuyasha leaned his forehead down onto Kagome's and they stayed like that still holding on to each other, both parties feeling content in the proximity.

After what felt like a small eternity Kagome couldn't hold back a small laugh. Inuyasha furrowed his brows but couldn't hide the amusement on his face.

"What so funny?" He inquired.

"It's nothing. I just was thinking" She said not meeting his gaze but still slightly giggling.

"Thinking what?" Inuyasha said he slowly swayed with her still in his arms.

"What was it that you were so scared of again?"


End file.
